1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the utilization of waste heat from diesel or other types of internal combustion engines used in power generation.
More particularly, the present invention relates to utilizing waste heat from diesel or similar types internal combustion engines used for power generation, where the engines are relatively small and produce an exhaust gas effluent stream having an initial temperature not more than 900° F., and where the system produces a spent exhaust effluent stream having a final temperature as low as 250° F.
2. Description of the Related Art
A specific characteristic of small diesel engines or other similar internal combustion engines used for power generation is that they produce relatively low temperature exhaust gas effluent stream.
Although the utilization of heat from exhaust gas can be done in many different ways using conventional type of bottoming cycles, these bottoming cycles generally require large capital investments and are not geared for use with small diesel engines used in power generation.
Thus, not only is there an need in the art for more efficient and effective means for extracting usable work from waste heat generated by small internal combustion engines.